learning

New self-paced coding program offers full stack of benefits

Simon Fraser University is answering the call for more technology-savvy graduates in B.C.

With coding and web development skills, in high demand, the B.C. government announced a strategy to increase talent in these areas at the B.C. Tech Summit in January 2016. Part of that strategy is fostering opportunities for students to graduate with technological skills.

“Once you learn some basic coding skills through the self-paced course, the bootcamp provides an in-depth project-development experience for those looking to hone their skills.”

Beginners start with the online self-paced course, which leads students through the full process of coding for web development. Learning modules teach open source coding languages such as HTML, PHP and Javascript.

“The self-paced course emphasizes the soft learning skills that people need to keep up with technology and web development,” says Filimowicz.

“All the big companies like Google Microsoft and Amazon use open source coding. Open source is critical for today’s tech market—you get much more benefit from non-proprietary code that’s open to the whole development community.”

Access to the online course suite is $50. Filimowicz says that additional modules will update participants and alumni on new trends once they’ve finished the basics.

The Bootcamp in Open Source Development is a full-time, six-week intensive program that takes students through the entire web application development process. Filimowicz says that, upon completion, students will have a market-ready web application to add to their portfolio.

“Websites are the fundamental medium of our time,” he says. “For anyone who doesn’t have coding as part of their education, these programs offer accessible and easy entry into a growing industry.”